Talk About...Are films too depressing these days?
Peter Bart and Peter Guber say studios are releasing too many depressing movies: Topics like war, terrorism and abandonment dominate the screens at a time when it seems like people would want to seek relief from these things in the theater. (During the Depression, for example, studios focused on feel-good flicks like Abbot and Costello productions.) Smart but dark movies with big stars like The Brave One with Jodie Foster and A Mighty Heart with Angelina Jolie have underperformed, and critics are leaving the theaters bummed out, spreading their woe in their reviews.
Guber notes filmmakers should follow their individual visions and if those are depressing, so be it. Instead he lays responsibility for all the depressing fare on studio execs who are in a position to pick and choose the kinds of movies they finance, and he thinks they should be developing more films that make audiences feel good.
Are films too depressing these days, and should studios focus on making us feel better? Comment below.
The moral hypocrisies are disgusting. Certain words are censored but the blood letting war mongering and honoring of war and violence goes on and on. The shock of virtual technology imprints violence and moral degradation, especially in young minds. What kind of insanity is responsible for the money grabbing, greedy, disgusting programming on tv.What about the arts, the environment, creativity and imagination? Films such as Whale Rider, What the Bleep, Good Will Towards Men, Fantasia, Donald Duck In Math Magic Land and other Disney films are excellent. What about the arts environment and creativity and imagination? What kind of sick perverted, greedy, money grabbing minds are responsible for programming that focuses on the machines of war and destruction.And enough of the commercials. TV could be such a useful tool in these troubled times but instead low grade programmers and film makers are making the problem worse.We need more than a laugh and romance. We need truth. Stop suggesting how wonderful war is. How about less government control of the media and more truth for a change. Thank you for this opportunity for the voice of the people.
On your show you raised the question, "Why didn't Jodi Foster's THE BRAVE ONE do better? Was it the violence?" I think the answer is "No". Women can do very well in violent and HEROIC movies. The ALIEN franchise proves that point, as does some of Ms. Foster's other films like PANIC ROOM, FLIGHT PLAN or SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. What the public seems to NOT want is a female Anti-Hero -- the Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood type roles. That's not feminine. THE BRAVE ONE is a female version of DEATH WISH. That's not what the public wants to see - a feminine vigilante. In my humble opinion.
The problem with most comedies and musicals today is morally offensive content. The Religious right is willing to part with movie dollars (i.e. The Passion of Christ) but they are not willing to be hit in the head with morally offensive content. Remake IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT without adding to the sexual content and you'll have a hit. The same is true with other genres. I've heard it said Jewish people don't mind sex, but they do mind violence. Christians do mind sex, but they don't mind violence. Both groups don't want a string of vile language that doesn't contribute significantly to the plot. Terry
First off, studios should try to wean themselves off the sequel money-bottle. I know sequels can and sometimes make studios incredible amounts of money. However they also drain the creativity out of film industry as well, by turning the business into nothing more than a money-mill. What kind of movies do I want to see Hollywood make? I want to see fresh, new, imaginative, someone’s heartfelt vision on film. Not the moviemaking by committees and bean counters we have today.
I understand the film industry is in the business of making money, but what has happened to the days when a director had a vision, that found others at the studios, and those who would put up the financing to share their vision? Back in the mid 1970’s sci-fi had become a boring, tread worn genera and the release of Logan’s Run in 1976 with its tired plot and pathetic special effects hammered home that fact. That next year a daring young director who went way out on a limb on meager budget with a brilliant vision created the Star Wars legend. Without Alan Ladd Jr at Fox taking a leap of faith and believing in that young director, George Lucas, Star Wars may have never been.
What we film goers need is a new generation of headstrong film makers who don’t know they can’t do the impossible, and as George Lucas, make the impossible commonplace.